The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has announced major breakthroughs in a series of high-profile criminal investigations involving child sexual exploitation, murder, cybercrime, and child trafficking across the country.
Addressing the media at a press briefing, the Director-General of the CID disclosed that the Police Service, in collaboration with international partners including INTERPOL and the Australian Federal Police, had intensified efforts to combat organised crime and protect vulnerable persons.
Three Arrested Over Child Sexual Exploitation
The Police revealed that three Ghanaian suspects had been arrested in connection with the production and distribution of child sexual exploitation materials in the Ashanti and Bono Regions.
The arrests followed intelligence shared by INTERPOL Canberra and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation concerning an Australian national currently standing trial in Australia for child sexual exploitation offences. Investigations indicated that the offender had received indecent materials involving Ghanaian children from facilitators based in Ghana in exchange for money transfers.
Subsequent operations by INTERPOL Accra and the Child Digital Forensics and Cybercrime Unit led to the rescue of four child victims aged between six and thirteen years.
According to the CID, some of the suspects were close relatives of the victims, including an older sibling and a mother. The victims are currently receiving care through the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), with support from the NGO Abuse Relief Corps.
Police warned that child sexual exploitation crimes were increasing due to the ease of committing such offences online and the financial incentives involved.
Suspect Arrested Over Legon Bypass Murder
The CID also confirmed the arrest of Wisdom Tetteh, a suspect linked to the murder of 27-year-old car dealer Theophilus Ashitey Amarh, whose burnt body was discovered inside a vehicle near the Legon Bypass on April 7, 2026.
Investigators said the suspect, described as a close friend and neighbour of the deceased, allegedly lured Amarh to his residence under the pretext of a vehicle transaction before attacking and killing him.
Police disclosed that the suspect later sold the deceased’s Hyundai Elantra for GH¢170,000 and attempted to destroy evidence by burning both the body and the vehicle. CCTV footage reportedly captured the suspect at the crime scene.
The suspect was arrested in Togo through an INTERPOL operation while attempting to sell the victim’s mobile phone and has since been remanded into police custody.
Cybercrime Unit Arrests Man Over Intimate Videos
In another major operation, the Cybercrime Unit arrested 36-year-old entrepreneur Joshua Kojo Anane Boate for allegedly drugging women, sexually abusing them, and sharing intimate videos online without consent.
Police said the suspect operated a Telegram platform known as “VIP Sleep Fetish 2025,” where explicit videos and images of victims were shared.
Investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly targeted women at nightclubs, drugging them with substances including Alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax, before recording and distributing the content online.
Items retrieved during the arrest included iPhones, a MacBook laptop, memory devices, and empty sachets of sedative drugs. The electronic devices are currently undergoing forensic examination.
Child Trafficking Syndicate Busted
The CID further announced the arrest of Lucinda Naomi Otchere, a midwife at Trust Mother and Child Hospital in Osu, for her alleged involvement in a child trafficking syndicate.
Police investigations suggest that the suspect received a missing seven-year-old girl from another suspect and allegedly paid GH¢20,000 as part of the transaction. Authorities further alleged that an additional GH¢35,000 was paid to facilitate the transfer of another five-year-old child to a couple in Pokuase.
The case forms part of a wider investigation that has already led to the arrest of six other suspects connected to child stealing and trafficking offences.
Two child victims, including a 10-month-old infant and seven-year-old Kadija Karim, have since been rescued and reunited with their families. However, a five-year-old girl believed to be in Pokuase remains missing.
The Police have appealed to individuals currently holding the child to surrender her to the nearest police station.
Fetish Priest Arrested for Murder of Trader
Meanwhile, the Homicide Unit has arrested a 25-year-old fetish priest and herbalist in connection with the gruesome murder of 40-year-old trader Joyce Akua Ampomaa at Awutu Bentum in the Central Region.
Police said the suspect allegedly lured the deceased into a bush under the guise of collecting herbs before attacking and killing her with a cutlass. Her body was later mutilated, with the head and legs severed.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly admitted to the crime and led investigators to locations where the victim’s body parts had been buried in the Volta and Central Regions.
Police also retrieved destroyed mobile phones belonging to the deceased as investigations continue.
CID Commends International Cooperation
The CID Director-General praised officers involved in the operations and expressed gratitude to international partners, including INTERPOL, the Australian Federal Police, and authorities in Togo, for their support in achieving the investigative breakthroughs.
He also commended the Inspector General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, for his leadership and continued support in strengthening police operations nationwide.
Story By: Eric Boateng
